TWI779661B - Foldable electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

A foldable electronic device is provided, including a main body, a display unit, and a detachable camera unit. The display unit is pivotally connected to the main body. When the camera unit is in a received state, it is accommodated in a recess of the main body. When the camera unit is in an operation state, it is disposed at an edge of the display unit.

Description

foldable electronic device

The present invention relates to a foldable electronic device, in particular to a foldable electronic device with a camera unit.

In general foldable notebook computers, the camera module is usually arranged on the top of the display screen, so it is often necessary to reserve a certain width and space at the frame of the display screen, but it is also impossible to reduce the size of the notebook computer. To achieve the purpose of miniaturization.

In view of this, how to provide a foldable electronic device with a camera module, and to make it easy to use and miniaturized has become an important challenge for researchers in this technical field.

In view of the foregoing conventional problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a foldable electronic device, which includes a main body, a display unit, and a camera unit. The aforementioned body has an upper casing, a lower casing, a user input interface and a groove, wherein the upper casing is connected to the lower casing, and the user input interface and the groove are arranged on the upper casing. The aforementioned display unit is pivotally connected to the aforementioned body, and the aforementioned camera unit can be switched between a storage state and a use state; wherein, when the aforementioned camera unit is in the aforementioned storage state, the aforementioned camera unit is accommodated in the aforementioned groove, and when the aforementioned When the camera unit is in the aforementioned use state, the aforementioned camera unit is arranged on one edge of the aforementioned display unit.

In one embodiment, the camera unit has a plurality of conductive terminals, and the display unit has a plurality of electrical contacts, wherein the electrical contacts are electrically connected to the electrical contacts in a detachable manner.

In one embodiment, the aforementioned conductive terminals are POGO Pins.

In one embodiment, the camera unit has a housing and a lens, the lens is disposed inside the housing, and the conductive terminal is disposed at a bottom side of the housing.

In one embodiment, the aforementioned foldable electronic device further includes a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element, the aforementioned first magnetic element is disposed on the aforementioned bottom side of the aforementioned casing, and the aforementioned second magnetic element is disposed on the aforementioned display The aforementioned edge of the unit, wherein when the aforementioned imaging unit is in the aforementioned use state, the aforementioned first magnetic element and the aforementioned second magnetic element generate a magnetic attraction force, so that the aforementioned imaging unit is combined with the aforementioned edge of the aforementioned display unit.

In one embodiment, the aforementioned display unit has a front frame, a back cover and a display screen, the aforementioned frame is connected to the aforementioned back cover, and the aforementioned display screen is arranged in the aforementioned front frame, wherein the aforementioned back cover is formed with an opening, and The aforementioned second magnetic element is exposed on the aforementioned edge of the aforementioned display unit through the aforementioned opening.

In one embodiment, the aforementioned foldable electronic device further includes a slider, which is slidably arranged on the aforementioned casing of the aforementioned camera unit, and the aforementioned slider has a light-shielding portion and a light-transmitting portion, wherein when the aforementioned When the sliding member is in an open position relative to the casing, the light-transmitting portion is aligned with the lens.

In one embodiment, the housing is formed with a guide groove, and the slider is slidably disposed in the guide groove, and when the slider slides from the opening position to a shielding position along the guide groove, The aforementioned light-shielding portion of the aforementioned sliding member shields the aforementioned lens.

In one embodiment, the aforementioned groove is adjacent to the aforementioned display unit.

In one embodiment, the aforementioned edge is located on a top side of the aforementioned display unit.

A foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. It should be readily appreciated, however, that the embodiments of the invention provide many suitable inventive concepts that can be implemented in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments disclosed are merely illustrative of specific ways to use the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It is understood that these terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the background or context of the related art and the present disclosure, and not in an idealized or overly formal manner Interpretation, unless specifically defined herein.

The aforementioned and other technical contents, features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings. The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as: up, down, left, right, front or back, etc., are only directions referring to the attached drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used in the embodiments are used to illustrate but not to limit the present invention.

First, please refer to Figures 1 and 2 together, wherein Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a foldable electronic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the separation of the camera unit 30 and the display unit 20 in Figure 1 .

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a foldable electronic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is, for example, a notebook computer, which mainly includes a mutually rotatable body 10, a display unit 20, and a camera unit 30. The aforementioned body 10 and the display unit 20 are connected to each other through the pivot H, so that the display unit 20 can rotate relative to the main body 10 between an open state and a closed state.

In this embodiment, the aforementioned body 10 has an upper casing 11, a lower casing 12, a keyboard K, and a touch panel T, wherein the upper casing 11 is connected to the lower casing 12, and the aforementioned keyboard K and touch panel T is arranged on the surface of the upper casing 11 . It can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 that a groove R is formed on the surface of the upper casing 11 for accommodating the camera unit 30 , and the groove R is adjacent to the display unit 20 . In this embodiment, although a keyboard K (such as a QWERTY keyboard) and a touch panel T are simultaneously provided on the surface of the upper casing 11, only the keyboard K or the touch panel may be provided on the surface of the aforementioned upper casing 11. T, or other forms of user input interfaces can also be provided to facilitate the user to operate the foldable electronic device 100, and are not limited to those disclosed in this embodiment.

The aforementioned display unit 20 mainly includes a back cover 21 , a front frame 22 and a display screen D, wherein the front frame 22 is connected to the back cover 21 , and the display screen D is arranged in the front frame 22 . For example, the aforementioned display screen D may be an LCD, an OLED or a touch screen.

It should be understood that the above-mentioned keyboard K and touch panel T provided on the main body 10 are mainly used as a user input interface (user input interface), wherein when the user wants to operate the foldable electronic device 100, the display The unit 20 is opened relative to the main body 10, and then the keyboard K or the touch pad T can be used to input commands or control the cursor on the display screen D.

It can be seen from Figures 1 and 2 that there are soft pads P at the four corners of the upper casing 11 on the main body 10, wherein the aforementioned soft pads P protrude from the upper casing 11, and when the display unit 20 When in a closed state relative to the main body 10 , the aforementioned soft pad P will abut against the display unit 20 to prevent the display screen D from being damaged due to the contact between the display unit 20 and the main body 10 .

Then please refer to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 together, wherein Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the camera unit 30 in Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 shows the edge S1 on the top side of the display unit 20 A schematic diagram of the conductive mechanism 23 and the electrical contacts 231 is provided. FIG. 5 shows a side view of the foldable electronic device 100 in FIG. 1 , and FIG. 6 shows an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 5 .

In this embodiment, when the user wants to use the camera unit 30 to perform functions such as live broadcasting or video calling, the camera unit 30 can be taken out from the groove R of the main body 10, and the camera unit 30 can be fixed on the display. The edge S1 of the top side of the unit 20 makes the camera unit 30 in a use state (FIGS. 5 and 6).

It should be noted that the camera unit 30 of this embodiment has a casing 31 and a lens 32 (Fig. 3) disposed inside the casing 31, and a plurality of Conductive terminals 301 and two first magnetic elements m, and a conductive mechanism 23 and two second magnetic elements M (Fig. A plurality of electrical contacts 231 and a plurality of insulating parts 232 are arranged, and the second magnetic element M is exposed on the edge S1 of the display unit 20 through the opening 24 on the back cover 21 .

Specifically, when the user wants to perform functions such as webcasting or video calling through the camera unit 30, the camera unit 30 can be arranged on the edge S1 of the top side of the display unit 20, and the conductive terminals on the bottom side of the camera unit 30 301 is electrically connected to the electrical contact 231 exposed at the edge S1 of the display unit 20; in this way, the camera unit 30 can be electrically connected to the display unit 20 through the aforementioned conductive terminal 301 and the electrical contact 231, and can Further, through the circuit inside the display unit 20, it is electrically connected to the power system or the processor inside the main body 10 for charging or data transmission.

It should be understood that when the aforementioned camera unit 30 is combined with the edge S1 of the top side of the display unit 20, the magnetic element m at the bottom side of the camera unit 30 will extend into and be combined with the opening 24 on the back cover 21 of the display unit 20 and the first magnetic element m and the second magnetic element M can pass through the magnetic attraction generated between each other, so that the imaging unit 30 can be closely combined with the edge S1 of the display unit 20, so as to prevent the imaging unit 30 from displaying Unit 20 falls off. For example, the aforementioned first magnetic element m and the second magnetic element M may be magnets, electromagnets, or elements with magnetic permeability, and the aforementioned conductive terminals 301 and electrical contacts 231 may be pogo pin connectors (POGO Pins). .

It should be understood that although the conductive mechanism 23, the second magnetic element M and the opening 24 (FIG. 4) in this embodiment are arranged on the edge S1 of the top side of the display unit 20, they can also be arranged on the display unit 20 The left edge S2 or the right edge S3 are not limited to those disclosed in this embodiment. That is to say, the user can also combine the above-mentioned camera unit 30 on the edge S2 on the left side of the display unit 20 or the edge S3 on the right side of the display unit 20, and use the camera unit 30 to perform functions such as live broadcasting or video calls. 30 is electrically connected to the display unit 20 through the conductive terminal 301 and the electrical contact 231, and can be further electrically connected to the power system or processor inside the main body 10 through the circuit inside the display unit 20 for charging or data transmission .

On the other hand, since the camera unit 30 of this embodiment is connected to the display unit 20 in a detachable manner, when the user does not need to use the camera unit 30, it can be directly removed from the edge S1 (or edge S2) of the display unit 20. , S3) dismounting, and then place the camera unit 30 in the groove R on the surface of the casing 11 on the body 10 to avoid loss, while maintaining the integrity of the overall appearance of the display unit 20.

It should be noted that when the camera unit 30 is placed in the groove R of the main body 10, the camera unit 30 is in a storage state. At this time, the power supply of the camera unit 30 can be turned off, and the power supply system inside the main body 10 can Charging, or data transmission with the processor inside the main body 10 . For example, a pogo pin connector (POGO Pin) or other forms of electrical contacts can be provided on the inner surface of the groove R, so as to be electrically connected to the camera unit 30 .

Please refer to Figures 7 and 8 together, wherein Figure 7 shows a schematic view when the display unit 20 is turned over 360 degrees relative to the main body 10 and is in an upright state (tablet mode), and Figure 8 shows the foldable display unit in Figure 7. A side view of the electronic device 100 .

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, when the user turns the display unit 20 over 360 degrees relative to the main body 10 and is in an upright state (tablet mode), the user can place the camera unit 30 stored in the groove R of the main body 10 Face to the front, and watch the real-time images captured by the camera unit 30 through the display screen D on the display unit 20 , so that the user can take pictures or take photos through the camera unit 30 . It should be noted that when the camera unit 30 is placed in the groove R of the main body 10 and is in a storage state, the camera unit 30 is hidden inside the groove R and does not protrude from the surface of the upper casing 11, so that It is possible to prevent the display unit 20 from colliding with the imaging unit 30 when it is closed relative to the main body 10 .

Then please refer to Figures 9 and 10 together, wherein Figure 9 shows a front view of the camera unit 30 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 10 shows that the sliding member 40 in Figure 9 covers the lens 32 of the camera unit 30 time schematic diagram.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the camera unit 30 of another embodiment of the present invention is formed with a guide groove 302 on the surface of the casing 31, and a slidable sliding member 40 is provided in the guide groove 302. The sliding member 40 is made of plastic, for example, and has a light-shielding portion 41 and a circular light-transmitting portion 42 , wherein the size of the light-transmitting portion 42 is approximately equal to the size of the lens 32 . It should be understood that when the slider 40 is located in one of the open positions in the aforementioned guide groove 302 (FIG. 9), the light-transmitting portion 42 will be aligned with the lens 32, and the lens 32 can pass through the light-transmitting portion on the slider 40 at this time. 42 to receive external light, and the camera unit 30 can perform functions such as taking pictures or photographing through the lens 32 . In an embodiment, the aforementioned light-transmitting portion 42 may also be a perforation on the sliding member 40 , and is not limited to what is disclosed in this embodiment.

Conversely, when the user slides the slider 40 from the opening position to a shielding position along the guide groove 302 (Fig. 10), the lens 32 will be covered by the light shielding portion 41 on the slider 40. At this time, the lens 32 That is, it cannot receive external light to protect the privacy of the user, thereby improving the safety of use.

To sum up, since the camera unit 30 in each embodiment of the present invention is attached to the edge S1 (or edge S2, S3) of the display unit 20 in a detachable manner, it does not occupy the space outside the frame of the display screen D , so that the miniaturization of the foldable electronic device 100 can be achieved; in addition, when the user does not need to use the camera unit 30, it can be directly removed from the edge S1 (or edges S2, S3) of the display unit 20, and then The camera unit 30 is placed in the groove R of the main body 10 to avoid loss, thereby maintaining the integrity of the overall appearance of the display unit 20 .

Although the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages have been disclosed above, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can make changes, substitutions and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the process, machine, manufacture, material composition, device, method and steps in the specific embodiments described in the description, and anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can learn from the disclosure of the present invention It is understood that the current or future developed processes, machines, manufactures, material compositions, devices, methods and steps can be used in accordance with the present invention as long as they can perform substantially the same functions or obtain substantially the same results in the embodiments described herein. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention includes the above-mentioned process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, device, method and steps. In addition, each patent application scope constitutes an individual embodiment, and the protection scope of the present invention also includes the combination of each patent application scope and the embodiments.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone who is familiar with this technology can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore The scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the scope of the appended patent application.

100: Foldable electronic device 10: Ontology 11: Upper case 12: Lower case 20: Display unit 21:Back cover 22: Front frame 23: Conductive mechanism 231: electrical contact 232: insulation part 24: opening 30: camera unit 301: Conductive terminal 302: guide groove 31: shell 32: Lens 40: Slider 41: shading part 42: Translucent part D: display screen H: Pivot K: keyboard m: first magnetic element M: second magnetic element P: Upholstered R: Groove S1: edge S1: edge S2: Edge S3: Edge T: touchpad

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a foldable electronic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram when the imaging unit 30 and the display unit 20 in FIG. 1 are separated. Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the imaging unit 30 in Figs. 1 and 2 . FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the conductive mechanism 23 and the electrical contacts 231 disposed on the edge S1 of the top side of the display unit 20 . FIG. 5 shows a side view of the foldable electronic device 100 in FIG. 1 . Fig. 6 shows an enlarged view of part A in Fig. 5 . FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram when the display unit 20 is turned over 360 degrees relative to the main body 10 and is in an upright state (tablet mode). FIG. 8 shows a side view of the foldable electronic device 100 in FIG. 7 . FIG. 9 shows a front view of a camera unit 30 according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 shows a schematic diagram when the sliding member 40 in FIG. 9 covers the lens 32 of the camera unit 30 .

100: Foldable electronic device

10: Ontology

11: Upper case

12: Lower case

20: Display unit

21:Back cover

22: Front frame

30: camera unit

D: display screen

H: Pivot

K: keyboard

P: Upholstered

R: Groove

S1: edge

S1: edge

S2: Edge

S3: Edge

T: touchpad

Claims (6)

A foldable electronic device, comprising: a body with an upper casing, a lower casing, a user input interface and a groove, wherein the upper casing is connected to the lower casing, and the user input interface and the The groove is arranged on the upper casing; a display unit is pivotally connected to the body, and has a front frame, a back cover, a display screen and a plurality of electrical contacts, wherein the frame is connected to the back cover, and the display screen is set In the front frame, and the back cover is formed with an opening; a camera unit, which can be switched between a storage state and a use state, has a housing, a lens and a plurality of conductive terminals, and the lens is arranged on the Inside the casing, the conductive terminals are arranged on a bottom side of the casing, and the conductive terminals are electrically connected to the electrical contacts in a detachable manner, wherein when the camera unit is in the storage state, the The camera unit is accommodated in the groove, and when the camera unit is in the use state, the camera unit is arranged on one edge of the display unit; a first magnetic element is arranged on the bottom side of the casing; and A second magnetic element is arranged on the edge of the display unit and exposed on the edge of the display unit through the opening, wherein when the camera unit is in the use state, the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element The magnetic element generates a magnetic attraction to make the camera unit combined with the edge of the display unit. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive terminals are pogo pin connectors. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the foldable electronic device further includes a sliding part, which is slidably arranged on the housing of the camera unit, and the sliding The component has a light-shielding part and a light-transmitting part, wherein when the sliding part is in an open position relative to the housing, the light-transmitting part is aligned with the lens. The foldable electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the casing is formed with a guide groove, the slider is slidably arranged in the guide groove, and when the slider slides from the open position along the guide groove to a When in the shielding position, the light shielding portion of the slider shields the lens. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the groove is adjacent to the display unit. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the edge is located on a top side of the display unit.

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